Distribution of two species of sea snakes, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aipysurus laevis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Emydocephalus annulatus</Emphasis>, in the southern Great Barrier Reef: metapopulation dynamics,marine protected areas and conservation |
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Authors: | V Lukoschek H Heatwole A Grech G Burns H Marsh |
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Institution: | (1) School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia;(2) CRC Reef Research Centre, P.O. Box 772, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia;(3) School of Earth and Environmental Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia;(4) Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA;(5) Department of Zoology, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia |
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Abstract: | Aipysurus laevis and Emydocephalus annulatus typically occur in spatially discrete populations, characteristic of metapopulations; however, little is known about the
factors influencing the spatial and temporal stability of populations or whether specific conservation strategies, such as
networks of marine protected areas, will ensure the persistence of species. Classification tree analyses of 35 years of distribution
data (90 reefs, surveyed 1–11 times) in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) revealed that longitude was a major factor determining
the status of A. laevis on reefs (present = 38, absent = 38 and changed = 14). Reef exposure and reef area were also important; however, these factors
did not specifically account for the population fluctuations and the recent local extinctions of A. laevis in this region. There were no relationships between the status of E. annulatus (present = 16, absent = 68 and changed = 6) and spatial or physical variables. Moreover, prior protection status of reefs
did not account for the distribution of either species. Biotic factors, such as habitat and prey availability and the distribution
of predators, which may account for the observed patterns of distribution, are discussed. The potential for inter-population
exchange among sea snake populations is poorly understood, as is the degree of protection that will be afforded to sea snakes
by the recently implemented network of No-take areas in the GBR. Data from this study provide a baseline for evaluating the
responses of A. laevis and E. annulatus populations to changes in biotic factors and the degree of protection afforded on reefs within an ecosystem network of No-take
marine protected areas in the southern GBR.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
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Keywords: | Classification tree Connectivity Marine protected area Metapopulation Sea snake |
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